09-26-2019, 02:06 PM
So the Sphinx thing was actually kind of fun? I dunno, I've always had fun with riddles, and she seems like a pretty cool creature. I bet no one disagrees with her about anything. Getting swallowed is slightly less than fun, and like, what kind of thanks is that for doing what she asked? The cold stone slips beneath me unseen, slick as ice. I'm not sure how long I'm falling before the light suddenly opens around me and I'm dumped on my ass.
"Ouch! The hell..." I mutter, getting back to my feet and looking at where I've been dropped. A sandstone chute fills one edge of a tiny clearing, thick green growth making walls on every other edge. Only along one side of the chute is a tiny break, golden sand making a narrow path that cuts through the green like a ray of sun. "Guess that's my way out." I sigh, kicking myself for following that damn speck of light. It is long past too late, however, and onward I go.
It's stupidly hot, and I'm dripping sweat by the time the path let's me out onto a stony plateau. Gross. Do you know how absolutely nasty it is to sweat between your scales? It's horrifying, and I'm kind of caught up on that for a moment before I can acknowledge that the one way path is continuing. Heat is radiating from the ground by now, and as I step to the edge of the path where it meets a frankly useless looking rope bridge, I can see why.
Bright, glowingly hot lava is bubbling beneath me, spitting up gobs of molten stone as bubbles of the stuff rise and burst. Oh no. Oh no no no. Absolutely not! My foot stomps stubbornly against the hot stone, even though there's no one around to see my tantrum. I am so not a fire-type girl. Air? Yes. Water? Hell yeah! Dirt? I can take it or leave it, honestly. But fire is just not my thing. And having a whole river of the stuff boiling beneath me like some twisted play on water is just sick.
Ugh, whatever. Its not like I can go back, and if I'm not mistaken, I can hear other hooves on the path I just came from. Time to make like a tree and leaf. Not trusting that bridge though. No way, no how.
Flying it is! Though I'm careful to stay just above the rickety rope deathtrap. Good gods, it is hellaciously hot here. Why not just drop us in the volcano and get it over with? I'm grumbling the whole way across, but finally i make it to the other side and can fully appreciate the hulking mass of dead rock perched on this island of stone.
Light shines from the highest window, and I can just make out the silhouette of someone delicate and swooning through the heat shimmer. Normally I'd mock the heck out of someone four swooning, but... Honestly, I'm feeling a little woozy myself. Did I mention it's hot? But she pulls out of sight, and I'm suddenly much more concerned with a rattling hiss coming from around the corner of the building.
My crest flares in dismay, only to fold back down when I see its just a dragon stepping out of the shadows. He's huge, much bigger than Tana gets when he shifts, but the dude is also probably way older than my brother. He's got gnarly horns and ragged claws and just looks altogether gruff. I let him move into the big flat area before yelling at up at him to get his attention.
"Hey you! Hi!" I holler at the top of my lungs. He's a lot taller than me, and if he's as old as he looks, probably deaf as a doorknob. I wait for the grim faced fellow to find me at about his knee height, and I'm suddenly struck by the realization that I don't know this guy? It could totally be my day to be swallowed by arcane beings, and I really doubt this guy's throat leads anywhere but his stomach. Not ideal. But it does give me an idea.
He hasn't said anything, but also hasn't eaten me yet, so I guess he's waiting to see what the fluorescent weirdo wants. Very well. "Hi! So like, this is a very nice castle. First rate. But it looks like you might have a damsel infestation? I can totally take care of that for you." I pause, waiting for a reaction. A bit of smoke and a not really convinced expression. Yikes, okay, plan B.
"Right, no, I know you're probably holding her for her shifty parents who want some kind of hero dude to rescue her. I get that, it's a job. But I bet she hasn't talked about anything but her future knight in shining armor, like, ever. Gotta be getting old. How about a trade?" I ask, a winning smile painted on my lips. "I take Speaking Beauty up there for a little ride, find some nice farmer guy to park her with, and you get to keep whoever followed me here. I'm sure they'll have a lot more interesting stuff to talk about. So you get a better pet, she gets her Fairly Okay Ever After, and I get to finish my quest. Everyone wins!"
For a moment I'm just standing there like an idiot, hoping the rather jagged teeth I'm staring up at don't sudden become the last thing I ever see. But then the smoke turns into puffs of hoarse laughter, and I'm chuckling along warily. A head as big as my entire body drops to look me in the eye, and the grey scaled dragon smiled in a way I'm sure would be lovely and good natured to another dragon.
"You could talk your own hind leg off, couldn't you?" He asks in a voice like a landslide. I grin because it seems safer than getting indignant.
"Yeah, I guess. Did it work?"
"Perhaps. You are correct, she is not much of a conversationalist. You, however, seem ready enough to talk. She can go. That ought to be rescued enough. But I'm keeping you. You may bring me entertainment for quite some time before I grow bored with your prattle. I'm sure whoever is coming behind you will make a decent snack in the meantime."
My jaw drops at the dragon's counter offer, and for once I'm at a loss for words. That... Is not how I planned on this going.
"Ouch! The hell..." I mutter, getting back to my feet and looking at where I've been dropped. A sandstone chute fills one edge of a tiny clearing, thick green growth making walls on every other edge. Only along one side of the chute is a tiny break, golden sand making a narrow path that cuts through the green like a ray of sun. "Guess that's my way out." I sigh, kicking myself for following that damn speck of light. It is long past too late, however, and onward I go.
It's stupidly hot, and I'm dripping sweat by the time the path let's me out onto a stony plateau. Gross. Do you know how absolutely nasty it is to sweat between your scales? It's horrifying, and I'm kind of caught up on that for a moment before I can acknowledge that the one way path is continuing. Heat is radiating from the ground by now, and as I step to the edge of the path where it meets a frankly useless looking rope bridge, I can see why.
Bright, glowingly hot lava is bubbling beneath me, spitting up gobs of molten stone as bubbles of the stuff rise and burst. Oh no. Oh no no no. Absolutely not! My foot stomps stubbornly against the hot stone, even though there's no one around to see my tantrum. I am so not a fire-type girl. Air? Yes. Water? Hell yeah! Dirt? I can take it or leave it, honestly. But fire is just not my thing. And having a whole river of the stuff boiling beneath me like some twisted play on water is just sick.
Ugh, whatever. Its not like I can go back, and if I'm not mistaken, I can hear other hooves on the path I just came from. Time to make like a tree and leaf. Not trusting that bridge though. No way, no how.
Flying it is! Though I'm careful to stay just above the rickety rope deathtrap. Good gods, it is hellaciously hot here. Why not just drop us in the volcano and get it over with? I'm grumbling the whole way across, but finally i make it to the other side and can fully appreciate the hulking mass of dead rock perched on this island of stone.
Light shines from the highest window, and I can just make out the silhouette of someone delicate and swooning through the heat shimmer. Normally I'd mock the heck out of someone four swooning, but... Honestly, I'm feeling a little woozy myself. Did I mention it's hot? But she pulls out of sight, and I'm suddenly much more concerned with a rattling hiss coming from around the corner of the building.
My crest flares in dismay, only to fold back down when I see its just a dragon stepping out of the shadows. He's huge, much bigger than Tana gets when he shifts, but the dude is also probably way older than my brother. He's got gnarly horns and ragged claws and just looks altogether gruff. I let him move into the big flat area before yelling at up at him to get his attention.
"Hey you! Hi!" I holler at the top of my lungs. He's a lot taller than me, and if he's as old as he looks, probably deaf as a doorknob. I wait for the grim faced fellow to find me at about his knee height, and I'm suddenly struck by the realization that I don't know this guy? It could totally be my day to be swallowed by arcane beings, and I really doubt this guy's throat leads anywhere but his stomach. Not ideal. But it does give me an idea.
He hasn't said anything, but also hasn't eaten me yet, so I guess he's waiting to see what the fluorescent weirdo wants. Very well. "Hi! So like, this is a very nice castle. First rate. But it looks like you might have a damsel infestation? I can totally take care of that for you." I pause, waiting for a reaction. A bit of smoke and a not really convinced expression. Yikes, okay, plan B.
"Right, no, I know you're probably holding her for her shifty parents who want some kind of hero dude to rescue her. I get that, it's a job. But I bet she hasn't talked about anything but her future knight in shining armor, like, ever. Gotta be getting old. How about a trade?" I ask, a winning smile painted on my lips. "I take Speaking Beauty up there for a little ride, find some nice farmer guy to park her with, and you get to keep whoever followed me here. I'm sure they'll have a lot more interesting stuff to talk about. So you get a better pet, she gets her Fairly Okay Ever After, and I get to finish my quest. Everyone wins!"
For a moment I'm just standing there like an idiot, hoping the rather jagged teeth I'm staring up at don't sudden become the last thing I ever see. But then the smoke turns into puffs of hoarse laughter, and I'm chuckling along warily. A head as big as my entire body drops to look me in the eye, and the grey scaled dragon smiled in a way I'm sure would be lovely and good natured to another dragon.
"You could talk your own hind leg off, couldn't you?" He asks in a voice like a landslide. I grin because it seems safer than getting indignant.
"Yeah, I guess. Did it work?"
"Perhaps. You are correct, she is not much of a conversationalist. You, however, seem ready enough to talk. She can go. That ought to be rescued enough. But I'm keeping you. You may bring me entertainment for quite some time before I grow bored with your prattle. I'm sure whoever is coming behind you will make a decent snack in the meantime."
My jaw drops at the dragon's counter offer, and for once I'm at a loss for words. That... Is not how I planned on this going.